This subject matter described herein relates generally to reinforcing support assemblies for a container formed from a blank of sheet material, and more specifically to a reinforcing support assembly for reinforcing an end wall of a container and providing a divider within the container.
Containers fabricated from paperboard and/or corrugated paperboard material are often used to store and transport goods. These containers can include four-sided containers, six-sided containers, eight-sided containers, bulk bins and/or various size corrugated barrels. Such containers are usually formed from blanks of sheet material that are folded along a plurality of preformed fold lines to form an erected corrugated container.
At least some known containers are configured to hold a plurality of goods therein. Most of these known containers are formed from a relatively large blank having a plurality of panels that fold and/or wrap to define the container. More specifically, the plurality of panels form a rectangular cavity into which the goods are inserted. Because these containers are formed from a relatively large blank of sheet material they can be expensive to make.
After being loaded with goods to be shipped, at least some of these known containers are stacked on top of each other, placed on a pallet, and loaded into a truck for shipment. Since these containers are stacked on top of one another, it is important that these containers provide a sufficient amount of stacking strength such that the containers do not collapse during shipment. A container that collapses during shipment may result in damaged goods within the container. Known methods used to increase the stacking strength of a container include increasing the thickness of the sheet material used to form the container. Of course, by increasing the thickness of the material, one increases the expense and complexity in forming the container. Another known method to increase the stacking strength of a container is to increase the number of sides of the container (e.g. going from 4-sides to 8-sides). What is needed is a container that has increased stacking strength with minimal material and a divider for protecting materials within the container.
None of these known containers includes a plurality of support assemblies that are positioned within the container to support the container sidewalls and increase the structural strength and rigidity of the container. It would be beneficial to have a container that includes a support assembly that supports the container sidewalls to enable the container to be formed using less material to form the sidewalls while still increasing the stacking strength.